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Henry McCoy (Earth-616)
Henry McCoy is a mutant, born with the power of simian-like enhanced agility, reflexes and strength. He gained his first furry form after using a biogenic serum that he had developed. Recently, he mutated into his present, bestial and felid, form. Henry McCoy's father, Norton, worked at a nuclear power plant where he was exposed to massive amounts of radiation during an accident. Norton was unharmed, but the radiation affected his genes, and as a result his son Henry was born a mutant. Unlike most mutants, Henry showed signs of mutation from birth: unusually large hands and feet. He was also endowed with an innate superhuman intellect. Thanks to his superhuman agility, strength, and speed, Henry became a star football player as a teenager. He hid his mutation and thirst for knowledge in plain sight - until the school asked him to leave after he was exposed as a mutant. His remarkable athletic abilities and brilliance attracted the notice of Professor Charles Xavier, who was forming the original X-Men and offered Hank, who excelled in the classroom, the chance for unlimited academic opportunities at his prestigious School for Gifted Youngsters. The costumed criminal named El Conquistador, however, also took note of his abilities and captured McCoy's parents in order to force McCoy to aid him in his criminal schemes. With the help of Xavier and the X-Men, Henry defeated the Conquistador, and he then joined the X-Men, taking the codename "Beast." Under Xavier's tutelage, Hank's days were rich with differential equations, Proust and workouts in the Danger Room. A brilliant student, McCoy completed his doctoral studies and finally left the X-Men and Xavier's school to take a position as a genetic researcher with the Brand Corporation. There he developed a serum that acted as a catalyst for activating latent mutations (This serum would become the basis of the Mutant Growth Hormone). On drinking the serum McCoy underwent radical physical changes. He grew fur over his entire body, his ears became larger and pointed, and his canine teeth became larger, resembling fangs. The serum also further increased his superhuman agility, endurance, speed, and strength. Eventually, McCoy left Brand, joined the Avengers, and publicly revealed his dual identity. During this time, he was the best of friends with Wonder Man. After years of service with the Avengers (during which he also aided the X-Men against Dark Phoenix), the Beast took it upon himself to reorganize another super-hero group, the Defenders, into a more formal combat organization. His X-Men cohorts Angel and Iceman served in the Defenders along with him, but the team collapsed after a climactic battle in which several other members seemingly perished. Subsequently, the Beast and his fellow members of the original X-Men formed a new organization, the first X-Factor, which publicly appeared to hunt down allegedly dangerous mutants but secretly taught them how to use their superhuman abilities. Shortly after the formation of X-Factor, the Beast was captured by the geneticist Dr. Carl Maddicks, who performed an experiment that caused the Beast to revert to his original, more human appearance. Some time later, however, the mutagenic powers of the mutant Infectia triggered the Beast's return to his furry, more animalistic appearance. After Professor Charles Xavier returned to Earth following an extended period in outer space with the Starjammers, the Beast and his fellow X-Factor founders returned to the X-Men. For years the Beast remained an active member of the X-Men as well as serving as a research scientist at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. One of Beast's greatest challenges emerged with Stryfe's fatal techno-virus. Hank was already despondent, as he was turning thirty and questioned his life accomplishments. His frustrations became further compounded when Professor Xavier and Moira MacTaggart didn't ask for his assistance with the Legacy research, but it turned out Xavier was just giving him his privacy. Perusing through their data, he learned that the problem was more difficult than he had initially imagined. Hank always believed that, given time, he could solve any problem; the Legacy Virus had become his obsession. He went as far as making an unethical decision in giving Sinister information on the virus, since he had more resources and less morals to inhibit him. A turning point came when Dark Beast finished some of the formulas, occasionally prying more information from Hank, whom he imprisoned and replaced for a while. The most critical step toward a solution, though, was when Dr. MacTaggart discovered a cure due to Mystique's irresponsible manipulation of a virus strand. This was still incomplete and it took Beast to design the cure. Based on Moira's notes, Beast concocted the antivirus to much elation, but it soon was repaid with a heavy toll — Colossus had to sacrifice his life to release the remedy. After mourning the loss of a teammate, Hank briefly left the school with Storm and her X-Treme team in search of Destiny's diaries. After an attack by Vargas that left Psylocke dead, Beast was gravely injured and returned to the Institute. Hank underwent a Secondary Mutation that caused him to mutate further into a more feline creature. Beast became very insecure, even feeling that he was devolving into an animal. He finally ended his relationship with Trish Tilby as she was afraid what would happen to her image if she was seen with him in public. After he discovered Cassandra Nova was inhabiting Xavier's body, Nova manipulated Beak into beating Beast into a deep coma. Hank eventually woke up, just in time for Jean Grey and Emma Frost to perform a psychic surgery and keep Xavier alive. Over time, Beast struck up a strong friendship with Emma, even collecting her shattered diamond form and arranging thousands of pieces into place. Falling for John Sublime's trap, Hank uncovered that the human race would be extinct within a few generations. Working hard to keep the X-Men together and solve the human extinction problem, he turned to the drug Kick and got infected by Sublime. Corrupted, Hank caused a chain of events leading the world to ruin. Phoenix disinfected Hank of the Sublime parasite and traveled back in time to end the bleak timeline. Hank is still an active X-Man, working with Cyclops on his squad. Beast also has recently questioned his intentions as far as mutant rights goes, firstly during Kavita Rao's so-called cure, then later after the events of House of M. He seriously considered taking the "cure" but decided against it after vigorous urging by fellow team member Wolverine, because it would send out a bad message to other mutants. After learning that the cure was developed by fellow geneticist Kavita Rao through experimentation on mutant corpses — as well as on the X-Man Colossus — Beast helps take down Rao's operation. When the villainous Hellfire Club attacks the X-Men, Cassandra Nova telepathically strips away Beast's higher human consciousness, leaving him with only his animal instincts. After hunting Wolverine around campus (and even eating his leg), a student named Blindfold faces him down with a device he and Xavier had built in case his consciousness was ever lost. The device is a high-powered sensory stimulant in the form of a ball of string, which Beast had alluded to as being his greatest fear. Once restored, he is quick to put on a suit and tie and save Wolverine with a hyper-magnetic device. He, along with his teammates, were last taken from the Mansion by the government agency S.W.O.R.D. and airlifted to the alien Breakworld. During the Civil War waged between Marvel's heroes, Beast, along with the other X-Men, assumed a neutral stance. However, Beast is not a particular fan of the policy and secretly violated his stance by providing Spider-Man with a holographic disguise to enable him to continue teaching at Midtown High after his secret identity has been exposed. Despite his personal feelings about the Superhuman Registration Act, Beast enlisted his services to the Initiative program after the war's end, to assist in the training of the next generation of superheroes. It is currently unknown whether his new position within the Initiative will affect his obligations to both the X-Men and the Xavier Institute. He wonders why he isn't one of the "lucky ones". If he had to remain a mutant, why did he have a power that made him look and sometimes feel like a beast. Hank has never received a Nobel Prize or been invited to the National Academy of Sciences as his peers in the intellectual community see him for the creature outside. He even knows what it's like to be jilted by the proverbial Beauty — his recent fear of human emotion has caused him to turn away from long time lover Trish Tilby, who has finally seemed to find the error in her ways as far as attitude towards his secondary mutation. Despite his ongoing battle with the demons of loneliness and rejection, he is an inveterate prankster and wit. Henry is every bit a human being plagued by duality: man/beast, genius/sports star, gentle giant/feral aggressor. Due to his experience, intellect, physical abilities and fierce determination ONE considers the Beast a significant threat if a mutant-human conflict emerges in light of recent events. Powers Known Powers: Beast is a Beta-Level mutant. Genetic Atavism: It is possible that Beast's mutation is a result of genetic atavism (or genetic traits that resurface in a species after many years of dormancy). He also possesses neotenous (or traits in a descendant that resemble those of an ancestor organism, like a chimpanzee trait in a human) characteristics, which would explain why he has a big modern brain with an ape-like physique. At the time of his further mutation into his present furry form, his metabolism underwent a period of accelerated change. As a side effect, he was able to metabolize and recover from penetration wounds to his body within a matter of hours. Since then, his body's metabolism has stabilized and he no longer has quite such a rapid recovery rate. He is still able to recover from a wound at about twice the normal human rate. His second mutation has also granted him enhanced physical power and a superhuman sense of smell, rivaling Wolverine's in acuity, and sight. *'Superhuman Strength': He possesses superhuman strength sufficient to lift about 30 tons. His strength is now much higher than in his simian form, in which he was capable of lifting about 10 tons. He is strong enough to smash through a brick wall with a single blow and he can tie barbells in a knot. *'Superhuman Agility': He has the agility of a great ape and the acrobatic prowess of the most accomplished circus aerialist and acrobat. He can walk a tightrope or a slack rope as easily as most people can walk on a sidewalk. He can walk on his hands for many hours, or perform a complicated sequence of gymnastic stunts such as flips, rolls, and springs. He can easily match or top any Olympic record at gymnastics apparatus (such as flying rings, climbing ropes, horizontal bars, trampolines). *'Superhuman Stamina': The Beast's highly advanced musculature produces less fatigue toxins during physical activity than that of an ordinary human. As a result, he can exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to affect him. *'Superhuman Speed': The Beast is quite fast, able to run on all four at approximately 40 miles per hour for short sprints. *'Superhuman Dexterity': He can perform many tasks with his feet as easily as a human would do with his hands. His manual and pedal dexterity are so great that he can write using both hands at once or tie knots in rope with his toes. *'Superhuman Durability': His physiology is durable enough to permit him to take a three-story fall without a broken bone or strain (providing he lands on his feet). *'Regenerative Healing Factor': His metabolism allows him to repair mild to moderate injuries within the span of a few hours, whereas ordinary humans might require many days. He can recover quickly from minor ailments such as colds. *'Enhanced Senses': Hank possesses enhanced, acute senses that are comparable to those of certain animals, enabling him to see and hear distant objects more clearly than a normal human, and identify and track someone purely by scent. He also possesses cat-like night-vision. *'Pheromones': Beast has the ability to secrete pheromones to attract members of the opposite sex. *'Claws': He sports razor-sharp claws on both his hands and his feet. Known Abilities: Henry McCoy possesses a genius-level intellect and is an accomplished scientist and scholar. He is a world-renowned geneticist and is considered a leader in the field of human mutation: a peer of Professor Xavier, Moira MacTaggart, and Kavita Rao. He is also an expert in the fields of chemistry, physics, electronics, and computer science. McCoy has a great familiarity with the canon of English literature and poetry. The most literate and eloquent of the X-Men, Hank is in possession of a million-dollar vocabulary. He is even a keyboard piano virtuoso! As a man of arts and letters and the sciences, Beast is very much the Renaissance man. The hyperactive, bouncing Beast is an excellent hand-to-hand fighter. He gained his initial combat training from Professor Xavier, and then continued his tutelage in combat gymnastics from Captain America. His honed acrobatic skills and feral instincts lend him remarkable grace and talent in combat. *'Strength Level:' Beast can lift at least 30 tons. Miscellaneous Equipment: The Beast possesses a fully-equipped laboratory in Xavier's mansion. Presumably it holds the latest in biological and material analysis devices. It may also contain Shi'ar technology. Transportation: The Beast often travels with the X-Men in their modified SR-71 Blackbird. Weapons: While known to use heavy weapons, The Beast prefers to fight bare-handed. Appearances in Other Media * Beast is played by Kelsey Grammer in X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) although he had a brief cameo in his human form in X2: X-Men United (2003), played by Steve Bacic. In the latter, he appears on the television in the bar scene as an authority on human mutation. A deleted scene during the sequence in which Dark Cerebro was set to kill all mutants showed Hank McCoy affected by the machine, causing him to take on his blue-furred simian appearance seen in the next movie. In the movies continuity, Beast was one of the earlier X-Men, and after he graduated from the academy, he left and became involved in politics, becoming Secretary of Mutant Affairs. The official website of the movie confirms that he is also a brilliant scientific researcher with great insight into mutant genetics. After the cure is released in X3, he contacts Xavier and informs him of the situation, saying he can understand why some mutants would want to be free of persecution. When the Brotherhood makes a move on the lab which created the cure, Beast joins the X-Men, donning his old uniform (commenting on how it feels smaller than before), and helps to hold the Brotherhood back. He seems to revert to a more primal nature in the fight, often roaring as well as defeating his opponents with a savage fighting style. After the incident, he is made United States Ambassador to the United Nations. * In the novelization of the film, and in an alternate ending on the DVD, he turns this position down and remains at the school as a teacher. * Beast appeared, alongside the other original X-Men, in an episode of the animated television series Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981). He was seen only in a flashback in his original form and had no lines. * Beast was a regular in the original X-Men (1992) animated series and, from the second season onwards, in X-Men: Evolution (2000). In X-Men, the character was voiced by George Buza. Buza had a small cameo as the truck driver who brought Anna Paquin's Rogue to the bar in the first X-Men film. Buza also voiced the Beast in two episodes of the Spider-Man animated series, in which he aided Spider-Man in seeking a cure for his mutagenic disease, and uncovered a plot by the Brand Corporation to eradicate mutants. * In X-Men: Evolution, Hank McCoy attended Bayville school in Bayville, New York and was even approached by Professor Xavier when he was a teenager. At the time, though, Hank turned down Xavier's offer of help and went on to become a chemistry and gym teacher. During the years, Hank had managed to control his mutation through a serum he developed. The serum started to fail however and he eventually lost control and mutated into the "Beast." As the "Beast", he caused massive destruction and is now a wanted fugitive. After his first transformation he was able to regain control, but he has now become permanently trapped in the physical form of the "Beast." Unable to return to his life as Hank McCoy he chose to join Xavier's school and now helps to teach the New Mutants. He was voiced by Michael Kopsa. * Beast has also appeared in the X-Men Legends games as a playable character, X-Men Legends and its sequel X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse as a merchant and villain, as well as in the X-Men: Mutant Academy series, X-Men: Mutant Academy, X-Men: Mutant Academy 2, and X-Men: Next Dimension. *In the game X-Men vs. Street Fighter in a certain stage you can see Beast and Blanka in the background, but none of them is active. *He also appeared in the game X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge, giving Wolverine a watch which would tell him how much time he had to get an antidote for the Shiva Virus before it killed him. Notes * Hank had a crush on Betsy Braddock when she was a supermodel. * In Ultimate X-Men, Beast's girlfriend was Storm. * Hank's religious affiliation is Episcopalian. * The Beast enjoys Twinkies. Evidence can be found in X-Men #73, where Beast's list of New Year's Resolutions reveals that one of his resolutions is to "Eat fewer Twinkies" (the other resolutions were to "read more 15th century texts" and "cure legacy virus", the latter the only one which it is evidenced that he did). * Kelsey Grammer is also known for playing Dr. Frasier Crane in the Frasier TV series, a character that, while having none of Beast's powers, was very refined and cultured himself. Related Articles * Dark Beast * Beast (Ultimate) * Emma Frost * Legacy Virus * Trish Tilby * Wonder Man See Also * Character Gallery: * Fan-Art Gallery: * Appearances of * Quotations by External Links and References * X-Men The Last Stand * Marvel Directory * UncannyXmen.Net's Spotlight on Beast * Wolverine's Revenge * "The religion of Beast (Hank McCoy)" * X-Men: Reign of Apocalypse Hero Handbook * Marvel Encyclopedia, Vol.1, 2002. David Bogart, ISBN 0-785-10984-6 * Science of the X-Men, 1st edition paperback, 2004. Linc Yaco, Karen Haber, ISBN 0-743-48725-7 * The Xavier Files, 1st edition paperback, 1994. Justine H. Korman, ISBN 0-679-86177-7 * X-Men: The Ultimate Guide, 2nd edition hardback, 2003. Peter Sanderson, ISBN 0-789-49258-X * The Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game, 1st edition hardback, 2003. Marvel Entertainment, ISBN 0-7851-1028-3 ---- Category:Characters Category:Living Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Good Characters Category:Public Identity Category:Mutant Characters Category:X-Men members Category:Blue Eyes Category:Blue Hair Category:Blue Skin Category:American Category:Avengers members Category:Defenders members Category:X-Factor members Category:Single Characters Category:Silver Age Category:198 Characters hu:Bestia